What are your county colours? A different way of looking at Laois

• Geological Survey Ireland releases a new series of Tellus county maps

Geological Survey Ireland has today published three beautiful, geophysical maps of County Laois, showcasing the country from a completely new perspective.

Since 2011, the Tellus programme of Geological Survey Ireland - a division of the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications - has been collecting geophysical data via onboard instruments on low-flying aircraft. The data, showing the magnetic, electromagnetic, and radiometric properties of the land, has now been compiled into a series of county maps with explanations on the information shown and key facts on the findings.

Koen Verbruggen, Director of Geological Survey Ireland, said:

"Geologists and geophysicists have a different way of looking at things, both in terms of time and space. They use colour to represent different properties of rock or millions of years in time.

"People may remember the aircraft flying low above their homes and might have wondered was there anything unusual found in their county. These maps are a chance to show the results in a form that's accessible to all and to show people a different way to look at County Laois."

The radiometrics map highlights County Laois' sandstone derived soils of the Slieve Blooms, which appear red. The black areas on the same map represent peat. In the electromagnetic map, the blue area north of Spink correspond to the siltstones and mudstones of the Castlecomer plateau.

Airborne geophysics is a cost-effective means of detecting the physical properties of soil, rock, and water beneath the ground. The data can be used for various purposes, for example, geological mapping, mineral exploration, radon risk mapping, and geothermal energy exploration through the understanding of the subsurface. The Tellus programme started in Northern Ireland, and it is planned that surveys of the island of Ireland will be completed by 2026.

The Tellus maps of County Laois are available on the Geological Survey Ireland website. .

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

Tellus:

The Tellus survey is a national programme designed to gather geochemical and geophysical data across Ireland, in other words, to examine the chemical and physical properties of our soil, rocks, and water. Tellus is undertaken by Geological Survey Ireland and is funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications.

Tellus involves two types of surveying: airborne geophysical surveying using a low-flying aircraft; and ground-based geochemical surveying of soil, stream water and stream sediment. The Tellus plane conducting the surveys flies at a height of 60 metres and is currently flying over Cork and Kerry. All data from Tellus is available on the Geological Survey Ireland website.